Movies and TV shows released on South Korean streaming platforms and cinemas this year-end have taken on a strikingly different tone. While movie theaters are filled with heartwarming family films like “One Win,” “Firefighters,” “Moana 2,” and “Wicked,” domestic streaming platform releases are dominated by dark, unsettling stories featuring blood and ghosts.
In other countries, streaming platforms have centered their holiday lineups around romantic comedies and family-friendly animated sci-fi dramas, creating a sharp contrast to South Korea’s darker year-end content.
Despite their provocative and gritty nature, this year-end lineup boasts high-quality content, offering viewers plenty to watch. Netflix’s highly-anticipated “Squid Game 2″ is set to premiere on Dec. 26, while other major releases like Disney+’s “Light Shop,” Coupang Play’s “Family Matters,” and Netflix’s “The Trunk” have been released earlier.
Currently, the spookiest show of the season is Disney+’s Light Shop. The unfolds around a cold, dark alley where a yellow light glimmers from a mysterious light shop. It’s a bizarre place where the living, the dead, and those caught between life and death meet. At the heart of this eerie spot lies the hope and love each character clings to.
Based on the webtoon by popular webtoon artist Kang Full and directed by actor-turned-director Kim Hee-won, the series seamlessly blends horror with human drama. The show centers on mysterious figures wandering around the light shop, where the whole story behind their connection gradually unfolds. While the initial scares turn out to be expressions of deep human desires for love and longing, the suspense is intense enough to keep even the bravest viewers awake at night.
Other new streaming platform releases this season combine suspense, thriller, and mystery genres with themes of family, melancholy, and humanity. This trend has become essential for streaming platforms to keep viewers hooked, as a lack of mystery or focus can lead to viewers abandoning a series midway.
Netflix’s The Trunk, directed by Kim Gyu-tae of the hit drama series Our Blues, is another example of this trend. The story begins with the discovery of a dead body, intertwining mystery with the romance of a couple in a temporary marriage. While some critics note that the mystery lacks depth, the series effectively creates a sense of unease and tension. In the end, it’s a story about relationships that only truly begin after questioning marriage and confronting loneliness.
While fairytale-like stories have almost vanished from streaming platforms this holiday season, new releases still embrace thought-provoking stories that address contemporary issues. Many acclaimed movies and shows on streaming platforms have explored themes such as loneliness, community, humanity, and justice, which are topics deeply rooted in reality.
Coupang Play’s Family Matters, a gripping drama about revenge through manipulating memory, exemplifies this approach. While the show is gory, it goes beyond graphic violence to address real-world problems, striking a chord with audiences by capturing the outrage against criminals who prey on human dignity.
Netflix’s hit show Squid Game 2 also reflects harsh realities. The second season will again explore the concept of a “win or die” premise that captivated global audiences, asking whether humanity and ethics can survive in a hyper-competitive society.
“I think Squid Game resonated globally because it wasn’t mere entertainment,” director Hwang Dong-hyuk said at a recent production event. “It offered audiences connect the story with real-world issues. Season two also bears a striking resemblance to our reality.”
